Improvement in governors for steam-engines



J. D. W-ILLOU'GHBY.

GovERNonsfFoR STEAM ENG-INES.

Patented Aug. 22, 1876.

stand, E, which is, in the the partition m,

UNITED S'I'A'IEs Prvrrnrr'rI FFICE.

lJAMES WILLOUGHBY, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GOVERNRS FOR STEAM-ENGINES.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.' 151,509, dated August 22, l1876; application filed January .12, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J AMES D. WILLoUe'HBY,

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Governor for Engines, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of a device, Jfully described hereafter, for regulating or cutting oi' the supply of steam in steam-engines, in accordance With the demands of the same.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved governor or cut-off, Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line l 2; Fig. 3, a detached View of a device to be used when ymy invention is employed sole- 1y as a governor; and Fig. 4, a device to be applied when the invention is to be used as a cut-off.

A is the chest of the governor' or cut-'off valve, the valve itself consisting, in the presnt instance, of a transversely-slotted cyliner, ted chamber, D, in :the chest A, a spring, a, contained within the said chamber', tendingto lelevate and close thejvalve.

It may here be remarked that dilie'rent kinds of valves may be used without departing from the main features of my invention.

To the valve-chest A is secured a frame or present instance, of a box-like form, and is separated into the'four compartments, I), d, e, andf, by partitions fm1, and m. The valve-spindle passes th1ough the base of the stand E, and is securedto aslide, 11,-Which passes through, and is guided by, the

is confined to 'the wheel by a plate, s. lA pin,

t, on the sleeve H is so adapted to a straight groove in the-ring L that .both must turn together, and an internal pin, w, on the sleeve B, arranged to slide in a cylindrical slotthe upper end of the slide being adapted -to the hub G, which, as shown in is adapted to a spiral groove in the hub q of the wheel K. A coiled spring, x, is contained within a recess in the wheel K, one end of the spring being connected to the Wheel and the other end to the ring L, as shown in Fig. 2. In the face ofthe wheel K is an eccentric groove, y, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) and into lthis groovev projects the end of a pin, g, on the,

.plunger M, the latter passing through, and being guided by, the top of the stand E and the 4partition h, which has two openings,lo and o( above the former of which is a valve, N, openl ing upward, and above the latter a set-screw, T, which can be so adjusted as to enlarge or l contract the communication through the openingo 'between the compartments b andd. As

the wheel revolves, the reciprocating plunger M, during its downward movement,lforces a suitable fluid from the chamber' d through the vvalved opening o, as well as through the opening o', into the chamber b, the uid, during the upward movement of the plunger, returning j to the lower compartment'through the said -openin g o. The resistance with which the plunger meets onits ascent will depend upon the area of the opening fu', and this can be readily determined by the adj ustmeht of the screw T. y The set-screw T must, in the first instance, be l so adjusted as to permit the `fluid to pass .to

and fro freely, and the wheel K to revolve lat a given number of revolutions per mlnute,1n dicative of the number of revolutions per minnte at which the engine must revolve without the spring x yielding to any great extent.

Should the'engine commence to run at too great a speed, the Wheel K bei'ng'restricted to its uniform speed by the iiow of fluid, the sleeve H will commence to turn faster than the wheel K, and this .must result in the yielding of the spring and in the inward movement of thev sleeve, owing to the spiral groove in the hub q of the wheel, and to the -pin w, which pro-V`A jects into `the groove. 0n the sleeve moving, 1 inward, it will be followed by a corresponding movement of the cam. G, and by such a movement ofthe valve as will diminish the supply of steam to a'degree which the excessive speed of the engine demands.

It will be readily understood that when the i engine commences to run at lessthan its proper speed, the sleeve H will move outward, and

s will be followed by such a movement of :cam G and the valve that the latter will nit to the engine a supply of steam neces y for cansin g it to run at its proper speed. ,n the event of the breaking of the chain or t whiclidrives the sleeve H, so that a sud- 1 stoppage of the rotation of the latter rets, the continued movement ot' the wheel K .l force the pin 'w of the sleeve to the ex` me outer end of the slot in the hub q, thus ising such a movement of the hub G that conical end will permit the elevation of the per end of the slide p to its highest point, d the consequent complete closing of the lve.

Ehe restriction of the wheel K to a given eed may be accomplished by friction, `any itable frictional device capable of nice aditrnent being applied to the wheel.

[nstead of imparting motion to the wheel K m the sleeve H through the medium of a ring, as described, said wheel K may be iven by a power independent of the engine, be governed by clock-work, for instance, or any motive power which will insure a derminate speed ofthe said wheel K. In this se the spring would be dispensed with, the ferences in speed between the hub of the leel K and the sleeve H causing the lateral ovement of the latter in the same manner as the former case. i Y When my invention has to be used solely as governor, the cutoff cam G must be removed, ld the plain tapering hub illustrated in Fig. secured to the spindle I, with a result similar that obtained from any ordinary governor, iwill be readily understood by engineers withit further explanation. p

A transverse spindle, P, having its bearings the stand A, passes through a slot in the idep, and is so cranked (see Fig. 5) that on ing turned by a suitable handle, P', it will press the slide, its spindle,.and valve B, and l)en the latter whensteani has to be admitted the engine inthe first instance. `After the steam has been thusadmitted, the sleeve will commence to move inward, and the cam Gr to depress the slide p, andthe cranked portion of the spindle P, being relieved from the pressuie of the spring a,.will, owing to the weight of the handle P', be so turned as to present no obstacle to the automatic movementof the slide and valve.

1,. The combination of a hub or cam, Gr, driven by the engine, and controlling the spring-valveB, with a wheel, K, revolving at a determinate speed, and with mechanism, substantially as described, by which the said wh eel governs the longitudinal position of saidt hub, as set forth. y

2. The combination of a spring steam-valve and its guided spindle with the rotating hub Gr, the sleeve H, driven by the engine attached to the said hub, the ring L, the spring-wheel K, its hub having a spiral groove adapted to the said sleeve H, and a device for retarding the wheel, as specified.

8. The combination of thesaid spring-wheel K andthe plunger M, operated bythe same,

with the compartments b and el, and communications between the compartments.4

4. The combination of the spring valvestem a or its slidepwith the hub G, controlled in its lateral movement by the variations in the ,speed of the engine, and having a tapered or grooved end, which will permit the complete closing of the valve, asset forth. i 5. The combination of the hub G andspringvalve B with the intermediate sliding valvestem p and cranked spindle P,\with its handle P', all as set forth. y

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this'speciii-cation in the presence of two i subscribing witnesses. 

